Reimer was the backup to Luongo, who dealt with various injuries the past few years, and played in 123 games the last three seasons.

The 31-year-old had a 13-12-5 record and a .900 save percentage in 36 games with the Panthers last season. Overall, Reimer has a 144-120-19 record in 338 games, including stops in Toronto and San Jose. Reimer will help address the Hurricanes’ immediate need at goalie with co-starters Petr Mrzaek and Curtis McElhinney eligible to become unrestricted free agents.

For Florida, the trade amounted to the team freeing up cap space in dealing Reimer and buying out Darling’s contract.

Florida, which hired Joel Quenneville as its new coach earlier this offseason, is believed to be a front-runner to sign top free-agent goalie Sergei Bobrovsky along with left wing Artemi Panarin, who both played for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, when NHL free agency begins Monday at noon.

“We’re confident we’re gonna make our team better and we’re trying to hit some home runs here,” president of hockey operations and general manager Dale Tallon said this past week about free agency. “But if we have to hit three singles to score a run, we’ll think about that too, as well. We’re gonna do everything we can to possibly get better and get [coach] Q the players he needs to get us to the promised land.”

Bobrovsky and Panarin each met with the Panthers last week. Bobrovsky was a top priority for Florida even before Luongo let the team know that he was retiring.

“We told them our plan. We told them what our goals were and how we were gonna do it, and I think they appreciated it,” Tallon said of Florida’s meetings with free agents ahead of Monday’s start of the NHL signing period. “I’m selling a great future. I’m selling a great coach and a great, young talented team and a wonderful place to play and all those things.”

Quenneville, who joined the Panthers in April, has naturally been a factor for potential free-agent signings. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, he has brought instant credibility to Florida and provided a spark of optimism within the organization.

Quenneville has played a very active role for the Panthers so far this offseason. He has been a factor in all of the team’s major decisions.

“He’s the best coach in the business so why not utilize him in every decision-making process?” Tallon said. “And that’s how we operate, anyway. So, to have him on board is exciting, because his knowledge is incredible and his opinion is very valued, and we’re gonna work together and our goal is the same.”

Despite a smaller NHL salary cap for the 2019-20 season than anticipated, the Panthers still have plenty of money to spend in free agency. The one major need that sticks out is goalkeeper, with the retirement of Luongo and Sunday’s trade of Reimer.